1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and arrangements for securing a ligament, or the like, onto a bone surface during a ligament repair or replacement surgical procedure.
2. Prior Art
One of the present inventors is the co-inventor of an earlier invention entitled, Channel Ligament Clamp and System, U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,420, and a U.S. Patent Application entitled, Improved Channel Ligament Clamp, U.S. Ser. No. 07/959,546, that show arrangements of clamping devices for mounting a ligament onto a bone surface. Which channel ligament clamps, like the present invention, employ a flat ligament engaging surface, wherefrom a plurality of spikes extend to penetrate the ligament and pass into the bone surface providing purchase therewith. Unique therefrom, the present invention provides, as a reference, a staple arrangement with parallel legs for driving into a bone surface, to straddle a ligament, with a movable arbor plate type washer wherefrom spikes extend arranged to travel between the staple legs through a ligament and into the bone surface. For moving the arbor plate type washer, the staple web is flattened and has a tapped hole formed therethrough that a threaded pin is turned into. The pin has a pointed end that when it is turned through the tapped hole, travels into a center hole that has been formed in the arbor plate type washer, a flat section above the pin top end urging that arbor plate type washer away from the staple web forcing the arbor plate type washer spikes through a ligament that the staple legs straddle and into the bone cortex.
Additional to the above cited channel ligament clamp type systems, staple arrangements that do not include the movable arbor plate type washer, have been earlier employed in ligament repair and replacement surgical procedures for attaching a ligament to a bone surface. Examples of such staple devices for medical applications are shown in patents to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,524; to Johnson, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,022; to Griggs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,903; to Borzone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,091; to Kurland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,833; to Shapiro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,967; to Pratt, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,769; and to Wevers, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,006. All of which staple devices provide for fitting the staple like device across the ligament to secure the ligament between the staple legs by driving it into the bone surface. None of these staple devices, however, employ a movable spike mounting arbor plate type washer like that of the present invention, and an arrangement for moving the spikes of that arbor plate type washer into a ligament that is independent of movement of the staple, as does the present invention. Also, while a number of staple and staple like devices are common to wood working, none employ the movable arbor plate type washer arrangement like that of the present invention, and are additionally structurally and functionally unlike the present invention. Some examples of wood working type staple like devices are shown in early patents to Tileston, U.S. Pat. No. 82,181; to Southwick, U.S. Pat. No. 431,175; to Yost, U.S. Pat. No. 758,881; to Hartley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,425,199; to Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,026; to Dyer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,638,477; to Le Page, U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,462; to Putnam, U.S. Pat. No. 2,134,765; to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,603; and in a later patent to Lambuth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,604.
Some examples of other devices for connecting ligament ends to a bone surface or within a bone are shown in a patent to Hunt, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,928 and in patents that one of the present inventors is the co-inventor of, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,632,100 and 4,738,255. Further patents to Vives, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,234 and to Paulos, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,351, show, respectively, pin and disk couplings for ligament mounting to a bone mass. Also, devices for mounting a ligament onto a bone surface are shown in patents to Jurgutis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,346 and to Frey, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,335 that show multi-pin staple arrangements.
None of which connector and mounting configurations, set out above, however, involve a staple with a spike mounting arbor plate type washer that is arranged to be vertically movable, guided by the staple legs, that includes with the staple legs seated in a bone surface an arrangement for moving the arbor plate type washer so as to clamp a ligament onto the bone surface.